See also this thread regarding Sullivan-Corbett 1892 http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16199 -- For prime versus prime, I pick Corbett to not win.
You have to ask how Corbett would have fared against Jackson if Jackson had not injured his ankle in the run up to the fight. My guess is that Jackson would not have had to settle for a draw.
In fights of this type spiked shoes tended to be worn which helped the fighters maintain ballance but might not have facilitated dancing. If course some fighters like Mitchel and Killrain used the spikes to stab at Sullivan's legs to slow him down.
The ankle was fine for the fight. Jackson fell off a wagon 2 weeks before the fight. No papers mention that Jackson came into the fight with limited mobility. If Jackson was not ready, the fight would have been moved back a week or two.
I would not say Jackson was seriously hampered. Both fighters were in excellent shape at the weigh in. There was no mention of Jackson having a noticeable limp in the fight.
Well he wouldn't need to have a limp at the weigh inn to have his training impeeded. Which it obviously would have.
Guilalah's forwarded quote from Appolack: I value this quote. However Choynski was a jitter bug in the ring. Sullivan might have had fast hands, but quick feet I think would be a reach. Regarding Goddard he would rate as Sullivan's 1st or 2nd best win if Sullivan fought and defeated him. I think Sullivan's resume vs. top tier fighters is rather thin, and he missed out on fights with Goddard, Jackson, Slavin, Dooley, and others....who were better than say Mitchel.
You are debating with someone who avers that Jackson was in fine shape for the Jeffries fight ,its like trying to hold water in your hand, an impossible task. Whether Sullivan would defeat Corbett is a personal choice ,what cannot be denied is that the fight would have been entirely different to the one that took place. I and other posters posted articles proving that Corbett put obstacles in the way of a second fight and used various ruses to make a rematch with Jackson a non starter,if he thought he would defeat a fit Jackson who had not had interrupted training , in a rematch, I think he would have accepted one.
Kilrain was his best fight, and in my opinion equals a win over Jackson or Goddard because Kilrain held the English London Prize Ring title (effectively if not technically). Sullivan had already won the equivalent of the American version against Ryan years ago, and defeating Kilrain concentrated every major title in his hands for the first time.
I think the Kilrain fight was a notable acheivment for Sullivan because prior to it he was a physical wreck and had to be reinvented by Muldoon, who kept him in line with a baseball bat.
I need to give this a lot of thought before posting my pick...it's difficult when there is no footage available of Sullivan.
Fights didn't get moved back a week or two because a fighter was injured in those days. A contract was a contract. If you got injured during training it was just your lookout.